Malting is an ancient process that has been practiced for thousands of years to prepare grains for human consumption and is most commonly applied to barley to create malt, a fundamental ingredient in beer and some types of whiskeys. The grain is initially washed and soaked in a manner that induces germination. The germinated grain is allowed to develop for a proscribed time before the application of heat dries the partially sprouted grain, yielding the malt product. The malt can subsequently be used in traditional baking, brewing and distilling processes or processed further into powder or syrup for broad use in food preparation. These latter steps are not considered part of the malting process.
Timing, temperature and other process parameters for malting are so dependent on the particular grain variety, the specific state of the live grain, and the intended flavor characteristics of the final malt product that it has typically been the responsibility of an artisan practitioner, the maltster, to oversee the process from start to finish. Malting systems evolved from simple baskets that held the grain through soaking and germination and open air drying to more sophisticated malt houses which were the pinnacle of floor malting, the most commonly used system from the 1600's through the 1800's. In floor malting, the maltster soaks and germinates the grain in large vessels, then manually spreads and stirs the grain on a specially designed floor using rakes and shovels. The maltster relies on acquired experience and skill to properly apply water, air and heat during the various process stages to yield the desired malt product.
Since the mid-1800's there have been numerous mechanical systems applied to malting, but the current state-of-the-art still tends towards multi-stage systems; and while most modern systems utilize computer controls to automate the malting process, all still require that operators possess considerable artisanal skill to produce a quality malt product.